Analysis of the Actual State of Direction Guidance System on Road Traffic Signs in Urban Area -Centering around Suwon City-

There are increasing needs to provide sufficient information on road directions through road signs for expanding cities and traffic networks. Improving efficiency of direction guidance information from road signs not only requires criteria for but also systematic approach to selecting place names that appear on road signs. As such, this paper looks at road direction information from existing road signs that leads to Suwon and investigates whether the current system of road signs provides efficient, systematic and continuous direction information for road users to easily reach their destination. In this paper, Suwon's city hall is set up as the final destination, which is linked from five other cities, Anyang, Osan, Ansan, Yongin and Seongnam. The paper attempts to find out whether there is continuity and suitable number of road signs for direction information by analyzing the road signs between these 5 cities and Suwon with respect to direction, direction advance notice and direction guidance. It is found that drivers cannot easily find the needed information on their destination from the existing road signs and that continuity of selected place names that systematically appear on road signs is insufficiency. In addition, direction guidance on road signs is problematic, because the appearance frequency of road signs is not adequate and the continuity of road signs is not effective. Moreover, there is insufficient information on local direction guidance for immediate destinations on road signs with respect to turning left or right or going straight.